Sunday, August 9, 2015

Soviets Versus Germans - Everything You Got

A few years back my friend Sam and I played one of those giant games that really should never be played.  Our Flames of War collections had gotten far too big to not throw all of it down on the table.  So we decided on just limiting it to everything German between the two of us versus everything Russian between the two of us.
The game lasted all day.  Saturday from 9:00 A.M. until 11:00 P.M. at night. We actually had to call it due to time.
We had taken a bunch of pictures, and I didn’t come across them until recently.  The pictures aren’t of the best quality and some of them are even corrupted, but I figure I would throw up some of the better ones and see if I can tell a bit of the story that I remember.
The Forces:
Russian
1 Full Udarny Battalion (3 Combat companies)
1 Full Strelkovy Battalion (3 Combat companies)
1 Full Rota Battalion (3 Combat companies)
2 Full God of Wars
1 Reserve Artillery Battery
An assortment of Russian Weapon platoons (HMG companies, Infantry guns, etc…)
2 Full T-34 Battalions (3 Combat companies each)
2 Full Is-2 Battalions (3 Combat companies)
1 Full Guards Heavy Tank Battalion (Mix of KV types)
1 Full Assault Gun Battalion
A slew of other armored support platoons.
Versus:
Germany
2 Full Fallshirmjager Companies with Weapon Platoons
1 Full grenadier Company
1 Full SS Company
1 Full Armored Panzer grenadier army.
Every german infantry weapon platoon you can think of
1 Full Tiger Company
1 Full Panther Company
1 Full Stug Company
1 Full Panzer IV Company
1 An assortment of German anti-tank guns
1 Full Assault gun/tank hunter company
We decided top have the fallshirmjagers on the board first, holding the center village (the overall objective).  They would be assaulted by wave after wave of Russian battalions.  Instead of bringing on platoons as per the reserve rules we brought on entire companies (battalions for Russians) with each successful reserve roll.
The Board: I am a little ashamed of the terrain.  Our terrain has gotten much better (and several of these units have been repainted)
The initial set up (FJs on the left backed up with some nebelwerfers.  The initial assault of Udarny and Is-2s is backed up by every Russian artillery piece we own!)
 
Dawn Assault!
Soviets bound through the fields of crops like velociraptors.  Scary time for the German paratroopers.  The Nebelwerfers did not thin them out as much as I would have liked!

Contact!  
 
Some of the intervening photos were corrupted, but needless to say the Is-2s helped break through those lines.
But there was one German hope!  A lone 8.8.  His counterpart was already killed, but he was able to pop a LOT of tanks:
Expertly set up at the crossroads, he would be a thorn in the side of almost every armored Russian wave. 
But he did have some help, and a Marder II ambush form the side helped turn the tide.

With the outskirts of the village being held by the last remaining Fallshirmjager platoon, it looked grim.

But out of sheer luck, the second wave of IS-2s were slowed down by another lucky 8.8 shot which blew up an IS-2 on the bridge.  This would slow down a lot of the support which was desperately needed by the soviets.
But not for long…
 
Due to some very heroic fallshirmjagers, The Is-2s were killed and pushed back in assault.  Thank goodness for panzerfausts.
But the Soviets keep coming with another wave of infantry and assault guns.
The village was now almost completely in Soviet hands.  With only the 8.8 and a few scattered remnants of platoons holding the southernmost portion.  As always, the 8.8 did not let that barrel get cool.
Just in time a wave of german infantry and a Stug Company and Grenadier Company come to help push back.
 
But the Russian heavy armor was now taking the German artillery.  Soon the Russian infantrymen would be able to make it to the village without harassment.
Things were once again looking grim.
A whole company of fearless SS came onto the board to help reinforce what was left of the German line. (Look at that 8.8 go!  It has now racked up  8 heavy tank kills!)

But remember that GIANT artillery park of Russian artillery?  Well it took a brutal toll on the SS.  In fact, the turn after they came on the board, the entire company was reduced to 4 stands.  Please notice the obvious absence of any german stands in the village below!
 

The Germans finally get a big break, and the Armored Panzergrens come onto the board with the support of an entire TIGER company!
While Pak 40 RSOs stop one of the pincers of T-34’s trying to get on the Tiger’s sides!
To seal the deal, the German panther company takes to the field as well.
But the Soviets have MORE than enough tanks to throw at them.  (This game went back and forth so much!)
Vicious fighting breaks out as the Soviets make their move to take the remainder of the village.
The last bastion of German defense, the nearly unstoppable 8.8 is eventually flanked by nearly 20 T-34’s!  (It would have been more if the 8.8 hadn’t done such a good job!)
And they march past the bested Panthers deeper into the German deployment area.
We had to call it at time.  But with the city in Soviet hands (minus one house) we called it in favor of the Soviets.  It was a tough game, but very fun.  We may have to do it over again sometime soon as our collections have done nothing but grow since then!

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